Cruising Adventures with Norwegian Cruise Lines

Well I’m back with another cruise line tour, today we’re going talk Norwegian, they are considered one of the best within their class and have a very faithful following of repeat travellers.

I’ve cruised with Norwegian, and had an ok experience, however, I have discovered that there are other cruise lines that suit me better. And I hope that this is your take-away; don’t commit your entire cruising life to just one line, until you’ve tried a few. So far I’ve had the opportunity to tell you about Celebrity Cruises (whom I love) and Royal Caribbean (who I am so impressed with value for dollar), and I’m looking forward to sharing the Norwegian Joy with you.

Firstly, I have to thank Lenora Perry at Expedia Cruise Ship Center, for the invitation; this time she and I did a self guided tour so that I could learn more about Norwegian and share my experience with you. We spent several hours wandering the ship from top to bottom, had lunch in the buffet, which allows me to give you my personal experiences aboard two different ships.

I’m going to touch on my cruising experience with Norwegian throughout this post, and while I left my Adriatic cruise with mixed reviews, I was so impressed with the Norwegian Joy, as a ship, that I am excited to tell you about it!

So like all the newer ships they now have interactive boards by all the elevators. Just tap and search. Whether it be the days activities or a specific location onboard, it’s all there.

I really enjoy cruising, and my experience with Norwegian was two-fold. I loved the Adriatic, the ports were amazing, the cabins were fine, though the ship was a bit older, and as such, not as big and certainly not as modern as the Joy and the rest of the ships within her class.

I want to touch on the cabins, I haven’t had a chance to see them first hand, however, I’m sharing images from their website, as I want you to see them. There are 5 classes of service. All with varying price points.

I’m going to talk about The Haven because it has special privileges, if you have the budget for it. The Haven suites come in a variety of sizes and styles, and are found tucked away at the top of the ship; these are the most luxurious, well-appointed and spacious accommodations you will find aboard any Norwegian ship. The perks include access to all the ship has to offer (without additional fees), the personal service of a concierge and 24-hour butler throughout your entire stay.

On top of that, complete privacy and tranquility are just steps away on a sundeck reserved exclusively for guests of The Haven. There is a private lounge and bar as well as courtyard and deck. From embarkation to debarkation, boarding of tenders to shore, onboard entertainment to dining times you will have priority. The Haven will make for a unique experience you’ll never forget.

What it comes down to is how much you want to spend on your accommodations, what’s important to you, only you can decide that. I’ve had an inside cabin and a balcony cabin. I probably sleep better in an inside cabin, though I did use the balcony whenever we were sailing into a port (unless it was the crack of dawn).

One last cabin option. Norwegian is the first line to embrace the solo traveller. They have (not on all their ships) solo cabins and a solo lounge. The rooms aren’t big, but you get a double bed, which is bigger than the beds in a shared cabin! Roughly 100-square-feet, separate sink and shower areas, as well as a flat-screen TV, and a safe. Cool features of the Studio Staterooms include chic, white-tufted accent walls and a large one-way porthole window to the corridor.

As a solo traveller, you also get private key card access to the Studio Lounge, that’s exclusively available to Studio guests. Enjoy complimentary refreshments throughout the day, relax with a book, watch the big-screen TV, or simply hang out while having a drink with your fellow Studio cruisers. You can also order room service from the Studio Lounge!

Now, onward to the rest of the ship!

The forward lounge.
I can’t express how impressed I was by this section of the ship, it feels like you are in a living room. With comfortable seating throughout, from small vignettes to larger ones, sofas, chairs, chaise lounges. I could happily spend days reading a book and people watching for this area.

I’ve taken so many pictures because it is just so unique, and relaxing that I know, should you cruise on the Joy, or any of their newer ships, you’ll find yourself spending a lot of time in this area.

This is the front of the ship, same lounge area, but with a forward view. There were a lot of people that chose not to get off the ship in Victoria, they were just enjoying the last day of their cruise, but I tried to keep them out of all the photos!

The below shot is from Norwegian, it gives you a really great angle and shows you the room in a way that I couldn’t!

So I promised to share a bit of my experiences as well, I said the Adriatic from Venice through to Croatia, Montenegro, Greece and back again. The trip itself was amazing, the crew is incredibly friendly, the balcony room was nice and a decent size for two people, not as big as the RCI ships, but reasonable, because let’s be honest, you don’t spend that much time there anyway!

Moving onward to the specialty restaurants and the dining lounges, the main dining area is big, but beautifully decorated, and also designed to not feel like a huge cafetaria. The Garden Cafe, is your all you can eat buffet, with wine, desserts and Starbucks there for your enjoyment.

My take on the food, I have to admit that the food was average, maybe even mediocre on my Adriatic Cruise, and it did impact how I felt about my overall experience. The specialty dining was much better, and certainly helped make up for the majority of the otherwise uninspired food. However, as this was just a tour and I obviously wasn’t able to eat in any of the dining rooms, etc. The meal I had in the buffet was significantly better than the buffet food I experienced. So maybe it just depends on where you’re sailing to, and what’s important to you.

But because the food (I’m a bit of a foodie) makes a huge difference to my experiences, I know that the meals served by Celebrity and RCI are at a higher level, thus my expectations are more readily met, I prefer to sail with them as a result. That being said, so many people love this cruise line, that don’t take my word for it, try them all and decide for yourself.

The wine bar, not too big, with a nice relaxing vibe, and an amazing selection of wines.

And if wine isn’t your thing, then check out Sugarcane Mojito Bar.

And if beer is your thing, don’t worry, the District Warehouse offers dozens of beer on tap!

Then there’s the ever popular Cavern Club, apparently this place is happening every nights, and there’s a line-up!

So the food…it was bland, boring and uninspired. The buffet was so tedious it was actually a huge disappointment. That was on my cruise in the Adriatic, however, my lunch from the buffet aboard the Joy was much better. The choices were much more interesting and diversified, the wine and coffee choices were a huge improvement. I didn’t have the chance to eat in a dining room, but if I’m going with the improvements in the cafeteria/buffet, then I’d say they are better too.

Oh and I have to show you how beautiful the main dining room is! This is the Manhattan Room.

You know how I mentioned that there are multiple dining halls, Savor and Taste are uniquely decorated rooms, but offer the same menu as the Manhattan.

Then there’s sushi, because as a general rule Sushi is now a staple in most of our diets. And the big lines like Norwegian know what people want to eat and try to accommodate everyone’s taste buds!

So there you have it, not all but a lot of the food options aboard the Norwegian Joy, and all of the ships in her class. There’s even a cigar bar, you can’t smoke anywhere else, but you can in there.

So one very unique and special thing that Norwegian offers is outdoor dining, most lines don’t have this, but if you’re cruising somewhere warm, I can’t imagine how great it would be to sit out there having dinner as the sun sets over somewhere warm and tropical.

Let’s move on to shipboard entertainment, firstly there are all kinds of thing that are great for kids of all ages. There’s an arcade, a two lane bowling alley, a go cart track and even laser tag. Then there’s the Galaxy Pavilion, creating a virtual world unlike anything you’ve ever seen. Enjoy an immersive gameplay experience during Dark Ride 7D.  And even mini-golf.

Now I have to address one important factor, unlike Royal Caribbean these fun activities all come at a cost. For example Laser Tag $10 per person, for 10 minutes, so if you have kids, I’m going to be that they’re going to want to do this more than once, 3 kids $30 bucks, 3 times in a week?! Same goes for the Race Track. I say this, not to dissuade you from sailing Norwegian, rather to help you make an informed decision.

Fun family dining on the pool deck.

Then there’s also a big screen, used for family movie night (in warmer climes), on the other side of the pool deck.

While this doesn’t cover everything, you’ll also find the spa, evening entertainment, casino, gym and splash academy for kids.

They even have a Starbucks, with a Starbucks bike kiosk that moves around the ship!

This is the lobby, super relaxed and comfortable.

Norwegian Cruises Weddings

Well no post of mine would be complete without some wedding details! Much like the other cruise lines, weddings aboard a Norwegian ship makes for such an easy, no stress event. They do it all for you.

If you decide to get married on the day of embarkation, you and all your guests will be provided priority boarding. This means that you have your ceremony onboard, then those that aren’t joining in on the cruise can disembark before departure. They will allow up to 10 non-sailing guests to board the ship for the ceremony at no additional charge. Should your non-sailing guest count exceed 10, then you will be required to hold a reception.

Norwegian as all cruise lines, has their own policies for onboard ceremonies. The times and locations are assigned by the Norwegian Group Service Coordinators based on the guest count, ceremony and reception requirements. Destination ceremonies are arranged with Royal Ocean Events and times are given to you based on the number of guests and ceremony requirements. All times and locations are assigned approximately 30 days before your wedding date.

The details are still yours to decide; from the menu, to the cake, photographer, flowers, entertainments, music you’ll find fantastic choices onboard.

Their inclusive wedding packages leave room for customization and those special personal touches are up to you. You’ll have a personal wedding planner to walk you through every possibility. Then when you step onboard, ready to tie the knot, you’ll be free to enjoy your special day and your guests, while your day-of wedding coordinator takes care of the details.

However, if you are planning on cruising and then getting married in a specific port, there are again options offered by the cruise line, not every country and not every port is available. Please see their brochure here.

MARRIAGE LICENSES Please note that it is the responsibility of the wedding couple to obtain information and apply for a marriage license from the desired port that they wish to marry in. Speak with your Royal Ocean Events Coordinator regarding the procedure in obtaining a marriage license in the port that you wish to get married in. If you choose to have a non-legal ceremony in a destination port, they need to know that as well, as you are required to sign a Symbolic Waiver form 30 days before your ceremony.

I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing what Norwegian can offer, whether it’s a family vacation or your wedding. Just remember, the destination and the time of year will determine both your choice and your budget, do you need to fly to your port of departure, or can you drive. Do you have a dream destination in mind? These will be your biggest decisions. Talk to a cruise ship professional, they’ll help, and it won’t cost you anything extra to utilize their expertise.

Because each share truly helps me out, please consider sharing & Pinning! Thanks – Maria

And if you have a suggestion for a city/country that you’d like me to focus on, please send me a message to maria @ theeventfultraveller. com and I’ll get to it asap.